Disease/Infection News

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Less than 7% of U.S. seniors get shingles vaccination

Although a vaccine to prevent shingles has been available since 2006, less than 7 percent of U.S. seniors — the demographic most frequently affected by the disease — chose to receive the vaccination as of 2008, finds a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

11 Jan 2011

Pharmasset, Bristol-Myers Squibb collaborate for proof of concept study on chronic HCV

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pharmasset announced today that the companies have entered into a clinical collaboration agreement to evaluate the utility of BMS-790052, Bristol-Myers Squibb's NS5A replication complex inhibitor, in combination with PSI-7977, Pharmasset's nucleotide polymerase inhibitor, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus.

11 Jan 2011

Predator microbes may work against antibiotic resistant disease-causing bacteria: Study

There are predators in the bacterial world that consume other bacteria, much as predators attack prey in the animal world. A team led by researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Dental School suggests that some of these predator microbes might be put to work against disease-causing bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics.

11 Jan 2011

Floods may become a healthcare challenge, warns the AMA

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has issued warnings to the Queensland health authorities to prepare for the rise of illnesses and injuries caused by the floods.

10 Jan 2011

Potential single vaccine for permanent immunity to all influenza

The search for a universal flu vaccine has received a boost from a surprising source: the 2009 H1N1 pandemic flu strain.

10 Jan 2011

Researchers describe crucial initial steps taken by measles virus attachment proteins with receptors

Mayo Clinic researchers have shown that proteins on the surface of a cell twist a viral protein into position, allowing the virus to start infection and cause disease, all in a movement as graceful as a ballroom dance. The findings appear in the current online issue of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

10 Jan 2011

Positive preclinical results from Inovio's novel DNA vaccine targeting HIV Clade C virus

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today the publication of a scientific paper highlighting positive preclinical results from Inovio's novel DNA vaccine targeting HIV Clade C viruses in the journal Vaccine.

10 Jan 2011

U.N. announces members of independent panel to investigate source of Haiti's cholera epidemic

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the names of four experts to be part of an independent panel that will "investigate the source of Haiti's cholera epidemic, which some Haitians blame on U.N. peacekeepers," Reuters reports (Worsnip, 1/6). "The members of the panel have been selected based on their global stature, expertise and extensive experience working with cholera in all its aspects," according to a statement from Ban's spokesperson, U.N. News Centre reports (1/6).

10 Jan 2011

Male circumcision helps reduce rates of HPV transmission to women, study finds

"Among HIV-negative sexual partners, male circumcision helps prevent the transmission of human papillomavirus [HPV] from men to women," according to a study published online Thursday in the Lancet, HealthDay News/Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

10 Jan 2011

Air purifier helps reduce H1N1 swine flu virus on contact

Only one week into the new year swine flu has already claimed several lives. Healthmap.org believes that swine flu has resulted in hospitalization and even death not only in the UK, but also in other parts of Europe and America. Reports indicate that the virus is even more virulent than last year.

10 Jan 2011

FDA, EMA accept boceprevir for expedited review

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that regulatory applications for boceprevir, Merck's investigational oral hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor, were submitted in 2010 and have been accepted for expedited review in both the U.S. and the European Union.

10 Jan 2011

Lancet World Report examines health risks associated with inaccurate TB tests, WHO's upcoming recommendations

With "scores of commercial serology tests for tuberculosis ... being sold in high-burden countries," the "WHO is due to release a negative policy recommendation - the first of its kind for the organisation" - after several reviews have "indicated poor performance of these tests," Lancet World Report writes in a piece that documents the health risks associated with a growing number of inaccurate TB tests.

10 Jan 2011

Tips for surviving a bout with 'stomach flu'

A post-holiday crush of patients are crowding into area physician offices and hospital emergency rooms as individuals of all ages suddenly find themselves laid low by a highly contagious and quick-striking virus.

10 Jan 2011

Positive results form INX-189 Phase 1b trial against hepatitis C virus

Inhibitex, today reported positive preliminary interim safety and antiviral data from the first two monotherapy cohorts of its ongoing Phase 1b clinical trial of INX-189, an oral NS5b nucleotide inhibitor being developed to treat chronic infections caused by hepatitis C virus.

10 Jan 2011

Old flu jabs from pandemic to combat this winter’s peak

With rise of incidence of flu this winter emergency stocks of the vaccine are being released. A review is to be carried out into whether vaccines should be purchased centrally next year in order to avoid shortages. At present the GPs can procure the jabs directly from manufacturers according to their estimates of patient requirement.

9 Jan 2011

Malaria drug makes cancer drug more effective

Scientists investigating the cancer-fighting properties of artesunate - a drug commonly used to treat malaria - have found early evidence that combining it with an existing cancer drug has the potential to make each drug more effective than when used alone. They also found that regular treatment breaks could improve success levels.

7 Jan 2011

MedImmune announces in-licensing agreement with Amgen for IL-1 pathway targeting novel monoclonal antibody

MedImmune today announced an in-licensing agreement with Amgen for a novel monoclonal antibody targeting the IL-1 pathway. The antibody, AMG 108, a fully human monoclonal antibody to the IL-1 receptor, has been studied in multiple phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials and will now be explored by MedImmune for its potential against certain inflammatory diseases.

7 Jan 2011

Chimerix initiates enrollment in CMX001 clinical study for life-threatening conditions caused by dsDNA viruses

Chimerix, Inc., a pharmaceutical company developing orally-available antiviral therapeutics, today announced that patient enrollment has begun in a multicenter, open-label clinical study of CMX001 (the CMX001-350 study) for the treatment of life-threatening or serious conditions caused by double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses.

7 Jan 2011

Study supports two-dose vaccine regimen for protecting children from chickenpox

Two doses of the varicella, or chickenpox, vaccine provide excellent protection in children against this highly contagious and, in some cases, severe disease. To be published in the February 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, the findings support the two-dose vaccine regimen recommended in the United States since 2006.

7 Jan 2011

Pharmasset reports positive data from PSI-7977 and PSI-938 HCV clinical programs

Pharmasset, Inc., announced today positive data from interim analyses of two of its clinical programs: the HCV genotype 2 or 3 (GT2/3) arm of the PSI-7977 Phase 2b trial and the 14 day PSI-938 monotherapy cohort of the dual nucleotide study.

7 Jan 2011

Disease/Infection News

Less than 7% of U.S. seniors get shingles vaccination

Pharmasset, Bristol-Myers Squibb collaborate for proof of concept study on chronic HCV

Predator microbes may work against antibiotic resistant disease-causing bacteria: Study

Floods may become a healthcare challenge, warns the AMA

Potential single vaccine for permanent immunity to all influenza

Researchers describe crucial initial steps taken by measles virus attachment proteins with receptors

Positive preclinical results from Inovio's novel DNA vaccine targeting HIV Clade C virus

U.N. announces members of independent panel to investigate source of Haiti's cholera epidemic

Male circumcision helps reduce rates of HPV transmission to women, study finds

Air purifier helps reduce H1N1 swine flu virus on contact

FDA, EMA accept boceprevir for expedited review

Lancet World Report examines health risks associated with inaccurate TB tests, WHO's upcoming recommendations

Tips for surviving a bout with 'stomach flu'

Positive results form INX-189 Phase 1b trial against hepatitis C virus

Old flu jabs from pandemic to combat this winter’s peak

Malaria drug makes cancer drug more effective

MedImmune announces in-licensing agreement with Amgen for IL-1 pathway targeting novel monoclonal antibody

Chimerix initiates enrollment in CMX001 clinical study for life-threatening conditions caused by dsDNA viruses

Study supports two-dose vaccine regimen for protecting children from chickenpox

Pharmasset reports positive data from PSI-7977 and PSI-938 HCV clinical programs

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